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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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The RAIN scale: A good intention that falls short
Radiation protection specialists agree that clear communication of radiation risks remains a vexing challenge that cannot be solved solely by finding new ways to convey technical information.
Earlier this year, an article in Nuclear News described a new radiation risk communication tool, known as the Radiation Index, or, RAIN (“Let it RAIN: A new approach to radiation communication,” NN, Jan. 2025, p. 36). The authors of the article created the RAIN scale to improve radiation risk communication to the general public who are not well-versed in important aspects of radiation exposures, including radiation dose quantities, units, and values; associated health consequences; and the benefits derived from radiation exposures.
M. L. Corradini
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 86 | Number 4 | April 1984 | Pages 372-387
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE84-A18638
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
If a complete failure of normal and emergency coolant flows occurs in a light water reactor, fission product decay would eventually cause melting of the reactor fuel, leading to contact with water. An energetic fuel/coolant interaction (steam explosion) may result. Experiments were performed at Sandia National Laboratories in which ∼5 to 20 kg of molten fuel simulant were delivered into water in which the water mass was 1.5 to 50 times greater than the fuel. These experiments in subcooled and saturated water showed that spontaneous explosions occurred over the range of water/fuel mass ratio and that in certain experiments multiple explosions occurred. The kinetic energy conversion ratio was <2%. A model is proposed to describe the fuel/coolant mixing process. The model is compared to these intermediate-scale experiments. Additional data analysis indicates that the steam explosion is affected by the mixing process.